


Dance Is A Language All Its Own

by Atalia_Tales



Category: The Artist Colony
Genre: Ballroom Dancing, F/M, Fluff, Muteness, musician - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-16
Updated: 2019-04-16
Packaged: 2020-01-15 04:27:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 772
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18491347
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Atalia_Tales/pseuds/Atalia_Tales
Summary: Tommy helps Em practice a dance she has been choreographing, while she helps teach him how to relax.





	Dance Is A Language All Its Own

Tommy walked into Esmerelda’s studio in Santa Fe as if he had been there a thousand times. In fact, he had only been there twice before. He glanced around the studio and noticed Em rifling through what looked like a CD collection in the corner. 

“Don’t you know everyone listens to their music digitally?” Tommy said, his London accent stretching wide. He didn’t mean it as a joke, nor did he say it with malice. 

Em glanced over her shoulder and smiled when she saw him even though she rolled her eyes at his statement. After she placed the CD she had been looking for into the player, she turned towards him and signed, _Not me._

She motioned for him to come further into the studio. He hadn’t even realized he had stopped in the doorway. He told himself he wasn’t nervous. Why should he be? But he could still feel the slight tremor in his hand. 

His footsteps echoed across the worn wooden floor. He became more self-conscious once he caught a glimpse of himself in the wall of mirrors. He looked stiff. He could almost see why Atalia liked to call him Mr. Darcy. 

Em beckoned for him to come even closer. When he reached her, she flitted around him and helped him take off his jacket which she laid in the corner. She signed, _Thank you for doing this. Usually, Levi helps me when he visits, but he is in New York right now._

“It’s not a problem. Just tell me what you want to do.”

Em nodded her head and smiled though she kept her head slightly down. Even after years of knowing each other she was still shy, especially around him. Tommy couldn’t understand why. He was nowhere near as pushy, loud, or eager as Levi. 

Em motioned where and how he should stand. She signed for him to copy her and pressed play on the CD player. Then, she began to dance. Tommy had seen her dance before. Many times. He was always amazed at how she lit up while she danced. She shed any lingering shyness and embodied confidence. Her body moved in time with the Latin guitar that played through the speakers. He remembered their heated discussions of music. He was happy to have someone who appreciated beats and rhythms, melodies and harmonies just as much as he did. She twirled and swayed, her skirt billowing and swishing like waves through the air. Her high heels clicked and clacked across the floor. 

Tommy was so transfixed he hadn’t realized both she and the music had stopped until he felt her fingers under his chin, pushing his jaw up to close his mouth. Her emerald eyes shone with laughter. Tommy jerked his head to the side in embarrassment. He could feel his ears burning. 

_Are you ready?_ she signed, _or should I do it again?_

“I’ve got it,” Tommy said with a huff. Em started the music again. This time, she grabbed his hands and danced with him. His movements were awkward and stiff. She made them start over and over again as he kept messing up. She grabbed his arms and shook them like noodles. Then, she grabbed his hips and pushed them back and forth while twisting her own demonstrating for him. His ears burned again. 

It was slow, but Tommy began to improve. He followed Em’s cues for when to twirl, bow, shift, and turn. Whenever he faltered, Em flowed with it. She even discovered a few new steps to add from his missteps. 

Tommy, for his part, would have misstepped less if he could have stopped being amazed and distracted with how close and intimate he was dancing with Em. She seemed to glow, to radiate some mysterious energy under the bright LED lights of the studio that pulled him in like a riptide. 

When Em decided to call it a night, Tommy was so sore he wasn’t sure if he would be able to make it back out to his car. If he felt this sore now, he knew he wouldn’t be able to rise out of bed the next day. 

Tommy looked up at the array of stars scattered in the dark indigo sky as he waited for Em to lock up. When she turned around she signed to him, _Thank you. You’re not as loose as Levi, but I would love to have you as my partner any day._ Then she stood on her tip toes and kissed his cheek before ducking her head and waving good-bye. 

Tommy smiled and waved good-bye, his frown a little less deep.

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so I may have taken some creative liberties with what would be going through Tommy's head, but I think it is pretty close.


End file.
